Book of Shadows
by PleaseSmile
Summary: When the fifth root shrivels and dies away, the tree begins to fall. Before the tree can move on it must absorb the remaining roots. However, the tree did not expect the roots to have a life of their own, a mind of their own, and a will.
1. Uno

The sky was colored gray, and rain fell like sheets of water onto the ground. The cobble stones were so wet that five youths nearly slipped as they ran down the street. The rain matted their hair, brown and sandy tones of color blended into one shade. They splashed their way passed rows of Tudor houses, every now and then glimpsing light protruding from a three paneled window. The towns-folk had rushed into their homes the moment it began raining, no one dared be caught in the downpour. The five youths decided to contradict that fact, and had escaped school in order to seek fun at the church. Drenched jackets ceased flapping as they halted in front of two large doors at the corner of the street. One boy opened a door and let his friends inside, then followed after.

The five boys walked briskly through the pews towards a soft glow at the front of the chamber. Candles spread on an altar lit the face of a statue with its arms spread wide in welcome. The candles were the only source of light in the house of worship, and the hearth in the ante-room lay bare of wood. As the boys stood dripping a flash of lightening illuminated the stained glass windows. One boy shook water from his hair then beckoned the others to the ante-room at the far left corner of the chamber. Just before they passed one of the many beams supporting the roof they stopped.

"Wait, wait!" One boy held out his arm.

"What can it possibly be now, I'm wet as a mouse!" another said harshly

"Listen, someone is crying."

The other three boys turned their heads toward the first speaker, sending him a confused look. They held their breaths for a moment, trying to catch sound in the badly lit church. As each boy strained their ears a soft crying echoed across the large room. One jerked his head towards the statue behind the altar and motioned for them to follow him. Quietly the small group tip toed towards the statue, and as they came closer a taller boy pointed at the booths hidden behind it. Two others inched their way to the left door and stepped up to grab one of the handles; all five eyed each other and nodded. They mouthed a count down and at 'three' pulled the handles. The boys shared one expression then, surprise. A girl, certainly their age, was crouched in one corner. Her blouse was soaked through, and mud covered her skirt and legs. She raised tear stained face towards them.

"Are you alright?" Asked one boy as his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

The girl wiped her eyes with a shaky hand then shook her head.

"Why don't you come out, and we can take care of the mud on your legs."

The boy reached his hand to the girl and smiled kindly. She in turn gave a grateful look and accepted the offered hand. Together the five of them led the girl half way across the church and into the ante-room. One boy lent his jacket and the girl wiped her legs and skirt free of mud then hung it on the empty hearth.

"Now," said the tall boy. "Before we introduce ourselves I think we'll change out of these clothes." He pointed to his wet cap.

The five boys nodded in silent agreement and the girl watched as three boys left the room. The other two pulled out a chest from next to a shelf and revealed it be full of school clothes. The girl stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, glancing at the boys every now and then. It seemed as if they had done this routine many times before. After a moment she walked over to a chair and sat down, the table stood in the middle of the room. The book shelf stood close by, it was full of bibles and old looking books.

The three boys returned to the ante-room, carrying chunks of wood. The girl watched with interest as the wood was lit, how the boys struck matches and attempted to conjure fire.

"Right, we will go change outside now." One boy suggested.

"Oh, yeah." Another one agreed.

Quietly all five boys filed out of the room and closed the door. There was many a shuffling outside and one thump.

"Gosh you're clumsy." Someone said.

"Shut it." Came the reply.

A moment later the boys re-entered the room and stepped over the fire, dry as a whistle.

"Come sit with us."

One waved at the girl over to the hearth, she nodded and stepped her way over. In no order all six children sat in a half circle around the fire, every now and then warming their hands. There was a pause before the boy at the far left of the group introduced himself, followed by the rest.

"My name is Billy Danvers."

He nodded at the boy sitting next to him.

"Blake Garwin."

"I'm Ed Perry." The third turned to the girl to his right and gave a small wave.

She whispered shyly.

"What was that?" asked Ed.

"My name is Nadine." She said louder.

"Hello, I'm Aldwin Putnam." greeted the boy to her right.

"I'm Carter Simms, and welcome to our day out of school."

All five boys snickered, and at the questioning look on Nadine's face Billy explained thus.

"Some of us prefer to be out of school when it the weather goes bad." He looked pointedly at Ed

"What?" Ed sounded offended.

"Well, we do get sleepy when it rains," Carter shrugged.

"It won't matter soon; it's not as if we'll be staying long." Blake rolled his eyes.

At this comment the cheeriness faded from the boys faces, and they cast their eyes in different directions.

"Why?" asked Nadine

Billy scratched his ear. "In two months we will leave this place, my parents mentioned something about the ocean. I think we'll be traveling by boat, a big boat."

"The way I see it, the King thinks too greatly of himself. He only wants to get rid of us so he can take over more land." Blake shook his head.

"Now, Blake. That is not the truth. What you've failed to learn in school is that the people are leaving of their own accord; they want to live a different lifestyle. Free from…Monarchy."

"I heard from my neighbor that citizens revolted in another town, they were punished too." Added Carter

"I wish I could leave." Nadine twitched her lip.

"Why?" asked Alwdin. "Didn't your parents register to leave?"

"My parents aren't here…I'm all alone."

"Is that why you were crying?" Aldwin gave Nadine a concerned look.

"No, I met…a bully a few days ago. He won't leave me alone."

"That's why you were hiding in the church?"

"Listen, if you need any help we can look out for you?" Blake put a reassuring hand on Nadine's shoulder.


	2. Due

She smiled at Blake; then shrugged.

"He's very…elusive. It will be very hard to catch him." She explained.

"With all five of us, he couldn't be that bad. Right Aldwin?" Ed playful punched his shoulder.

"Please don't go looking for him? He's not safe." Nadine bit her lower lip.

"Why?" Billy leaned forward to look at her.

Silence

"Is he a part of a gang?" Nadine shook her head.

"Did he threaten you not to tell?" Blake squeezed her shoulder.

"All I can say is that…as long as I'm here. I won't be safe."

There was a silence as all five boys thought about the situation. Then Carter lifted his head and gazed intensely at Nadine, Billy noticed this and shook his slowly.

"Oh no, we can't bring her on the boat." He said.

"We could smuggle her on!" Carter's eyebrows lifted.

"What are we doing?" Blake looked from Billy to Nadine.

"I get it," piped Ed. "We pretend she's the daughter of another family."

"What do we do if adults catch us?" Aldwin folded his arms.

"We tell them, that her parents are already on board."

"What if that doesn't work?" Billy asked.

"I'll pretend Nadine's my sister." Everyone turned their heads to Blake. "What?" He took his hand of her shoulder.

"It could work." Carter shrugged and looked at Nadine.

"I suppose," She agreed.

"Listen," Billy said. "Come here if you need to, we'll always come here after school. Can you do that?"

"And don't worry about the bully; obviously he has an evil soul. So he won't be able to set foot into this church." Aldwin smirked.

A smile crept onto Nadine's face.

That night became the first of many meetings between the five boys and that one girl. She did not appear at their school, or at the orphanage a town over. During the day the boys would see hair nor hide of her, but later at night they would see her at the church. They talked about their boring teachers and girls. Many times Nadine found herself being the attention when one of the boys would ask about girls.

"Do girls have cuties?"

"Girls like sports right?"

"What do girls like for presents?"

The only ones who didn't ask ridiculous questions were Billy and Aldwin.

She would answer, "What are cuties?" and "I don't know."

That night their world changed; it started as usual: the five boys skipped their last session in school and walked over to the church. The wooden benches lay in their original position; facing the altar. Candles stood at the perimeter of the chamber and only few remained lit on the tables. The boys made their way towards the front of the church when suddenly Nadine came flying from the corner and crashed into a pew.

"Nadine!"

She grunted in response and struggled to her feet; Ed ran to her and held her arm. He gripped her tightly and helped her up.

"What is happening?" Billy asked

A shriek so beastly, that everyone who heard it covered their ears, came towards them. A black mass hurtled towards the fallen girl. Nadine pulled Ed to the side with surprising strength and deflected the mass and held at a distance. The rest of the boys hurried to stand behind her; they looked fearfully at the attack suspended in mid air.

"What is that thing?" Aldwin helped Ed to his feet and they watched as Nadine held the black mass in place.

"It's coming!" Nadine closed her outstretched fingers in a fist and the mass disappeared.

A moment later a figure immerged from the candle light; it hunched over and carried a heavy head on its shoulders. It hissed once and advanced upon the group of huddled children. The boys kept looking from Nadine then to the thing. Aldwin clutched a chain at his neck, and Billy clenched his teeth. Ed and Carter hoisted Nadine to her feet, and Blake just clenched his fist. The creature dragged its feet faster towards the group, it hissed again. Nadine spoke in a foreign language that sounded akin to Latin, and thin blue lines twisted around her hands. She placed her feet shoulder width apart and pointed one hand to the ceiling and the other towards the thing. With another word she flicked her wrist at the creature then watched as it was struck by her power and began to twitch. All eyes were trained on the withering form of the thing as it hunched and bent further into the ground.

"Nadine, what just happened?" Carter asked.

"How did the demon get inside the church?" Aldwin frowned.

"Just because you call this place holy doesn't mean it isn't accessible to the likes of that creature."

"How did you defeat that demon?" Blake rubbed his knuckles.

Nadine pursed her lips, "I didn't want to get you involved. But now that you've seen what's after me I'm forced to explain."

The boys stood around her for a moment then sat down. She followed them but remained standing. "Everything that I've told you is true, but not the whole truth." Nadine rubbed her bottom lip with one thumb. "I'm on a trip away from my home, a place very far away from here. Most people like me have these powers; call it magic or witchcraft or what ever you like." She paused then paced right then left.

"None of my folk are foolish enough to travel outside our home; we exist in one of the places in between places. Like the air between walls."

"What about the demon you exercised?" Aldwin had stopped fiddling with his chain.

"No, I killed it." Nadine stared at the floor. "It takes skill, and drains a lot of energy from the user. I hope you can accept what I am."

"You're not human then?" Blake gave her a funny look.

"No, haven't you been paying attention?" she shook her head. "Well, can we still be friends?"

The five boys glanced at each other and came to a conclusion, their eyes showing promise.

"Yes, we are still friends." Ed smiled. "Are there more demons in…our world?"

Nadine nodded.

"Will you kill all of them?" asked Carter

"No, only those who want to eat me." She fidgeted with her hands and Billy grimaced.

"Oh and by the way, those things are not demons. They're more like shadows that like bending rules. They're not always bent on domination of some sort. The shadow that I encountered, in your town, believes I'm in its way. That is why I got frightened and ran in here. Well you can see that it found me, it won't be safe here anymore."

"Do you have anyone to help you in your endeavor?" Ed folded his arms.

"No, I'm alone."

"You have us," Blake stood up and walked forward.

Nadine tried to answer but was interrupted by Blake, "You could teach us to use…use this magic."

"I'm not sure," she shook her head.

"It beats going school." Carter said.

"Plus," Blake stepped closer to Nadine. "We could be in danger now that we know…shadows exist."

"Teach us and we'll guarantee you'll make it on the boat." Ed stood and extended his hand towards Nadine.

Billy nodded and looked up at her. Nadine sighed in defeat and shook Ed's hand.

"I'm warning you, this power is very tricky for humans. You must do exactly as I say; can you do that and pay attention?"

All five boys nodded in agreement.

For the next month Nadine taught the boys how to develop their magic, the process requiring many meditation sessions and smelly herbs. In the following days all five boys began to behave oddly, with no warning objects would move when ever one of them would stretch their hands. One day Ed accidentally made the chalk in front of his class spell word for word his exact thoughts on horse drawn carriages. By training Billy, Blake, Carter, and Ed learned to control their abilities. They also finally began to notice moving shadows around their small town. Proof that humans shared their world with other creatures. The last lesson Nadine taught them was about spells, and how words in the right pattern could simply create. One day she explained further about this shadow that was so concerned with her presence.

"I call the shadow It, I'm pretty sure it lives a long lifespan. Creatures like that live to be more than a hundred. I traced it's origins from the late 9th century. It seemed to have moved from the far eastern world up into Europe, and finally to where we are today."


	3. Tre

Nadine managed to stow away on the boat, and enjoyed her time playing with the boys. The operation went smoothly, Blake hung back from his parents the day they were boarding the ship and then Nadine came out from hiding and pretended to be his sister. She rested in Blake's closet, and in the morning when his parents weren't looking she would sneak outside and pretend her quarters were someplace else.

A month into sailing and Carter and Ed became sea sick, Ed was just done with losing his lunch when he noticed that the water was no longer a deep blue but a cold black.

"Carter." Ed gave a hoarsely whisper. "Get the others will you?"

Carter nodded and ran towards the main deck. After a short moment many footsteps sounded as five children came running towards Ed, as he hung on the rail.

"Ed what's the matter?" Billy steadied Ed as he released his grip on the rail.

"The water has turned black as ink." Ed turned his gaze to Nadine

"Black?"

"Yes, take a look." Ed pointed over the rail; all eyes followed and looked at the water.

"No," whispered Nadine as she stepped back.

The boys gave her a questioning look, "It…is here…".

The five boys glanced at each other, remembering what Nadine had told them. She had mentioned the name It, meaning the shadow that was chasing her was close by.

At that moment a sailor pounded down from the mizzen mast towards the captain; who was chatting with a few passengers.

"Sir," saluted the young sailor. "A vast storm approaches at gun port side; I predict heavy rain and high winds."

"Is that so?" The captain bid farewell to his passengers then withdrew a looking glass from his pocket and trained his eye out towards the ocean on the right side of the ship. He nodded to himself then opened his voice upon everyone. "All passengers please return to your quarters and close your doors and lock the windows."

He briskly stepped up the stairs towards the steering wheel, and with a louder voice began commanding his crew. "All hands on deck! Fold all masts! Secure the cargo hold! We don't want that wind to knock us off course! Keep the ships' heading west!"

By the middle of those orders sailors were scuttling about, preparing for action. The mizzen, main, and fore mast were wrapped around their poles and tied down. Before they knew it the storm was upon the ship, and ropes strained under the assault.

"We should get inside, Nadine you run past my parents while I distract them." shouted Blake over the high winds.

The group of children joined the rest of the passengers stepping down to their quarters. Just before they reached the stairs a flash of lightning filled the air. Looking around them, the children gazed in awe as everyone on the ship became frozen in their place. The wind still howled and the ship still pitched to and fro. They saw sailors in mid action, about to secure ropes and one was dangling by his foot from a beam.

"Did someone sneeze?" Aldwin turned skeptically at his friends; they shook their heads.

"Nothing has exploded," Carter glanced at the frozen passengers. "Yet."

Dark gray tentacles slithered crawled on the ship and whipped at the children, flinging them in separate directions. Two boys were thrown against the railing and the other three landed on the floor. A tentacle curled around Nadine, and the black mist that lifted from it shocked her skin. She screamed and clawed at the tentacle's grasp.

Forgetting that they were in public, the boys began using magic in order to aid their friend. One conjured fire and attempted to burn the offending limbs. The others tried freezing parts of blackness, so that it wouldn't touch Nadine's skin.

"That won't work!" Nadine choked.

"What then?" Aldwin shouted in surprised as new tentacles grew from the bigger one.

"Listen to me!" Her words were lost as the tentacles jerked her foreword, throwing the boys off.

They regrouped and gave up on magic; instead they using their hands to pry off the offending appendages. Nadine struggled and looked pleadingly at the boys; one thing was left to do.

"You have to seal It away!" The dark gray tentacles curled and dangled her above the deck away from their grasp.

The boys ran under her, and asked her about what should be done.

"Remember the spell?" They nodded and glanced at each other, then turned back to Nadine.

"You're in the way, won't we hurt you?" Billy gripped his left hand with his right.

The others also took the stance.

She shook her head. "It won't matter, just please…do it." Nadine's voice began to sound strained as the appendages squeezed her.

The boys combed their memories for the spell that was rarely to be used, unless under extreme circumstances. "Say the words!"

"_Invitiamo la luce dentro_." Began Aldwin

"_Per guidare il nostro fabbricazione._" Added Ed

"_E aiutarli portare ordine_." continued Blake.

"_Sigilli il nostro avversario lontano da speranza._" Added Billy.

"_Leghi le nostre parole nella realtà._" finished Carter.

The air twisted from their hands towards Nadine, striking her and the dark limbs. The winds ceased to voice their battle across the waters, and the air itself divided for a brief moment. It closed with a loud crack, and all went still. Then the sky cried. The boys flinched as cold rain pelted their bodies; they looked around them in apprehension. But Nadine was no where in sight, and the creature had disappeared as well. In one breath the ship came alive, and the passengers and sailors gained mobility. The group of children ran for cover and huddled together for a moment, peering at the sky.

"What did we just do?" Ed cast his eyes down.

"Cast a spell you dolt!" Carter narrowed his eyes.

"We sealed the demon," Aldwin folded his arms.

"Where is she?" Blake raked his eyes across the deck.

Before anyone answered their parents found them and dragged or led them to their rooms. It was with a sad heart that the five youths stayed awake through the storm, already missing their mysterious friend.


End file.
